


Scout's Struggles

by denixvames



Series: Scout's Struggles [1]
Category: Team Fortress 2
Genre: Horror, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-19
Updated: 2020-09-19
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:55:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 8
Words: 8,111
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26547121
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/denixvames/pseuds/denixvames
Summary: Scout gets attacked one night by a shadow that strangely resembles a man wearing a hat. When Pyro informs everyone about who this sinister fellow is, the team decides to hunt it down before it takes Scout to god-knows-where. However, the shadow man has a trick up its own sleeve. And it may bring a few awkward truths out that Sniper has kept hidden for years.
Relationships: Scout/Sniper (Team Fortress 2)
Series: Scout's Struggles [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1930477
Kudos: 12





	1. A Nightmare

Scout was sitting in a brown sofa chair. Blood dripped on the walls, leaking from the ceilings, and spread on the floor. There was a metal wire mesh trash bin filled with his friends’ heads inside. Their wide eyes stared at him. He tried to move but found himself stuck. His heartbeat raced fast. A shadow-like man formed right before his very eyes. It had a wide brim hat and large claws. Its red glowing eyes pierced his soul. With no warning, it appeared in front of him. Digging its claws into his chest. Ripping out his organs. Breaking his ribs.

He screamed himself awake. A hand covered his mouth. “Shh!” He recognized that sound to be Spy. He soon relaxed his muscles. His heart calmed down. “What the hell is wrong with you?” “I-I saw...I saw all of you die.” Spy chuckled. “We nearly die all the time.” “No No No! This is different!” “Alright! Keep your voice down. Just tell me every detail.” Scout took a deep breath. “Everything was bleeding. And I mean everything. Your heads were...Then this guy. I don’t even think it was human. It was like a black mass with red eyes. Had a funny hat too. Like a big fancy one. Real creepy and shit.”

Spy thought for a moment. He shrugged. “Either way, it was only a dream. Whatever you’re talking about doesn’t exist.” He took a soda can out from one of the lockers. He handed it to him. “Drink up. Maybe something sweet will calm your nerves.” “Thanks.” Scout chugged until the can was empty. He crushed it in his hands. He read through the cracks. “Heh! Bonk…” He frowned. “Sometimes I imagine that these weirdly named sodas can actually help me in my combat. Because I know I’m not good enough. I’ll never be nothing like Heavy with his muscles, Doc with his brain, Soldier with his bravery, Sniper with his patience, Engineer with his wisdom, Demoman with his don’t-give-a-shit attitude, and Pyro with his….Well, whatever he’s got, he’s got it.”

Scout held a small smile. “Then there’s you. Spy. You’ve got some god-given luck. Your device helps you from being seen. You can put on anyone’s mask.” His voice lowered. “Even my own.” Tears threatened to leave him. “I don’t know why I was born in my family’s household. I don’t know why I had to have eight brothers. Hell, I don’t even know why my dad had to die.” He sighed. “But I do know that I’ll never have a normal life. I’ll never be what I want to be. Not even now. I sucked myself into this war and I know there’s no way out.” He threw the can. It bounced against the wall and rolled to his feet.

“Look Scout.” Spy lit his cigarette. Inhaling some, he blew out a puff of smoke. “We’ve all got nightmares. They scare us at first but after a while, we get over them. Just like everybody else. As for your importance in this team? It’s needed. You’re a swift man with a cocky attitude. From what we saw, you stopped giving a shit about everything. You accepted the way things are. But that’s what we saw. Not what I saw. I know you’re tired of this job but if this is either here or back home. What would you have?” Scout let out a low whistle then imitated an explosion. “Good answer. Now, I’m off to bed. Try not to have any more screaming episodes.” “Will do.” He headed out of the room.

Scout laid on his side. He shut his eyes. “If only you were here dad. Maybe you’d know what to tell me.” Spy was near the entrance of the room. Listening. Wishing he could do more. Once he heard enough, he walked to his room. He suddenly stopped. The shadow figure with the matching description that Scout had mentioned was behind him. He glanced with a glare. “Whoever or whatever you are, if I see you break any bone in his body then I’m going to kill you.”

The shadow watched him leave. It appeared where Scout was sleeping.


	2. The Hat Man

An alarm rang out. “WAKE UP MAGGOTS!” ,shouted Soldier. “Why can’t you ever just say good fucking morning mate?” ,said Sniper. “Negative! Every man must wake up with the rush of death!” Demoman rolled his only eye. The others woke up. Meeting at the so called living room which was more like their planning room. “Where’s Scout?” asked Engineer. “Still sleeping like a big baby,''said Heavy. Spy turned to the doorway. “I’ll wake up that pussy with my fists!” “No, I’ll go wake him.”

They watched him leave. “Something doesn't feel right.” said Engineer. “Tell me about it. He wouldn’t care about waking him up.” ,said Demoman. “He cares about the job getting done.” ,said Sniper.

Scout coughed. Seven of his fingers were twitching. The others were bent at odd angles. His bloody ripped bandages dangled from his still-bleeding hands. Blood dripped from his nose and mouth. His shirt had been torn open. There were three distinct claw marks. Larger than Heavy’s hands. More animalistic. They had dug deep into his skin. Into the meat. Perhaps even left a few cuts in his organs. His breathing was only constant wheezing. There were smaller claw marks all over his face. His legs had been slashed. Leaving him unable to move them. The closest he got to that was barely a tug. But he soon gave up because of the dreadful pain.

His wide eyes watched the shadow figure loom over him. A strange loud voice spoke. He had a hard time trying to understand as it only sounded like gibberish. A crooked sound. Nothing like an animal’s. The voice grew louder. A constant high pitch hum appeared. He shut his eyes. He wanted to scream. To tell whatever it was to stop. Just as the noise came...so too did it leave. The shadow left as well.

“Scout!” Spy ran over. Scout opened his eyes. The world was spinning. There was a pounding in his head. He coughed up more blood. “.....Spy?” “What the fuck happened? Who the fuck-?!” Spy knelt. “It...was…” Scout’s eyes rolled in the back of his head before his lids closed. “Medic!” “Ja?!” “Get your equipment! Scout’s badly injured!” “Verstanden!”

“Stay awake you idiot!” Spy slapped him. Scout did not respond. Spy grit his teeth. “Dumbass.” He carried him to the living room. He placed him on the table. “It couldn’t have been the Blu team! They don’t have a weapon that could do this!” said Engineer. “So who the hell did this?” ,said Demoman. “More like what the hell?” ,said Sniper.

Pyro spoke. “What? You know what did this to him?” ,said Spy. Pyro nodded. “Speak fireman!” ,said Heavy. Pyro did. “The Hat Man?” said Soldier. “Out of the way! I need space for my work!” ,said Medic. Everyone stepped out. Heading to the storage room.

“Stop...Just stop it...H-Help....” Medic held a worried expression. “Hang in there, Scout. I’ll save you.”

Scout found himself in the bloody room. He was sitting on the chair like before. He looked around. The basket of heads was still there. “No...Not again.” He stood. “I have to leave. I have to get out of here!” He ran to the door in front of him. He kicked it open. There was a dark hallway. He couldn’t see anything. Just the tip of the carpet at his shoes. He took a step forward. He figured that whatever was in there couldn’t be as bad as what was already in here.

He walked further down the hall. The lights suddenly turned on. Someone that looked just like him was standing across from his distance. The person’s head hung low. Scout froze. Unsure on whether or not he should say something. But he was too late to finish his thought. The lookalike Scout lifted its head up. It had no eyes. It was bleeding from its nose. It opened its mouth. A high volume of laughter came out. Almost as if it was taunting him. It made his stomach drop.

He took a step back. He had trouble breathing. There was a lump in his throat. He clenched his fists. A red glow appeared in the eyeless sockets of the lookalike. Its appearance changed to that of the shadow figure then back to its Scout form.

YOU ARE NOTHING!

Scout covered his ears. He shut his eyes. “Stop!”

YOU ARE WORTHLESS!

“Just stop it!”

NO ONE CARES ABOUT YOU!

“Help!”

THEY DON’T NEED YOU!

Shaking, he fell to his knees. “Leave me alone! You’re lying!”

The lookalike zoomed to him as it let out an agonizing scream.

Scout screamed. The sounds stood together. Echoing in the hall.


	3. Medic's Lab

He gasped awake. Quickly sitting up as he did. He cringed at the instant bang of pain coming from the wounds and fractures he had endured which were now bandaged. He looked around. Realizing that he was in the Medic’s lab. He had been laying on the surgical bed. “Ah! You’re awake! Das ist good.” Medic placed the clipboard back on the table. He walked over. Scout clutched his bandaged stomach. He started to figure out that he barely had any clothes on except for a pair of shorts.

“I’d be careful. I was able to save your life by stitching your wounds and setting your bones. Unfortunately, I had no reason to put any animal organs in you.” “Doc? You real?” “Of course I am. If I wasn’t me then I’d wouldn’t have the medical skills to save your life.” Medic reached out. “Now, let me check your temperature.” Scout’s eyes widened at the shadow figure who loomed over him. “No!” He threw himself off of the bed. Knocking over the tray of surgical tools and himself. “Scout, it’s me. I’m not going to-” “Get away from me!” He pushed himself up. He forced his feet to quicken the pace. Making his way to a wall, as he breathed heavily, where he sank to the floor. Leaning against the wall.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” Medic raised a brow at the sudden apology. Scout burst into tears. “Are you even here? Is this real? But I’m sorry! I shouldn’t be here!” Medic took a moment in his thoughts. He wasn’t sure what to do. He wasn’t close enough with Scout to understand his issues which he never knew since he didn’t care for anyone’s personal business. Yet, someone had to calm him down. The problem was no one really knew the other person. Everything was always kept professional. Even when shit would hit the fan.

So he analyzed each person in his head. Soldier was a mess who didn’t understand basic concepts and liked to be extreme. Demoman was constantly drunk so a decent piece of advice was out of the question. Heavy barely spoke and wasn’t much of a therapist kind of friend. Pyro was...Pyro. Spy wasn’t good with emotional conversations. In fact, he hated being involved in them if anyone mentioned something emotion-wise. It was mainly because he was literally a spy. And spies don’t talk about issues. Then there was Engineer who was a family man. He could be the right person for the job. Although, he and Scout have been butting heads ever since Scout accidentally broke one of his sentries by landing on it. If he could call Miss Pauling, he would. Unfortunately, she only gets a day off once a year. Leaving her post could be suspicious to her boss. Whoever her boss was. So the last one that was available was Sniper.

Sniper was a loner sometimes. His occupation was firing from a distance in a single room. He didn’t mind talking to some of the guys. Yet, he still liked to be alone when he needed to get away from everyone’s stupidity. It tends to annoy him easily. He also didn’t mind saying crap to people when he didn’t care for what someone was telling him. But he had seen Sniper treat Scout like a good friend. Everybody did have a bit of a problem with Scout. But he found the man with the rifle to be decent to the young man. And Medic didn’t think he was the best person to help Scout since his thoughts were mostly filled with killing and dissecting people.

He walked Sniper over to the lab. “And you want me to talk to him? I’m not his psychiatrist.” “I know but you’re the only one here who isn’t fully upset with him. Ja? So please talk to him. We need him stable before our mission starts again.” “Heh! The mission…” Sniper smirked. “Alright. I’ll do it. But not for the business.” Medic opened the door. They stepped in. Both were surprised to find a shaking Scout sobbing in the fetal position. There was a long cut on his left arm. “What the fuck?” Sniper ran over. He knelt. “How did this happen? No one should have entered this room.” “Medic! Tell the others to inspect the area! Make sure that there’s no Spy or Blu!” Medic nodded. He ran out of the lab.

Sniper grabbed some supplies from the table. He came back to him. “It’s ok mate. I’m going to help.” He dabbed some hydrogen peroxide on a pad. He placed it over the cut. Scout flinched. “S-Sniper….?” “That’s me. I’m right here. I’m real.” Sniper pulled out a small knife and pressed it against one of his fingers until it bled a bit. He held the finger up. “See?” He quickly bandaged his own finger then focused back on stitching up Scout’s cut. Scout started to catch his breath. “...Thanks pal.” “No problem. Let’s just hope they find the fucker who did this.” Sniper tied the bandage. Making sure it was secured. “There. That should do it.” He laid next to him. “Wha...What are you doing?” “Talking to you. What does it look like I’m doing?”

Scout sighed. “I’m sorry for dragging you into this. It’s my fault that-” “Hey, no need to apologize. I wanted to do this.” He clutched his head. “But I made everything worse. I’m a liability. Always have been and always will.” Sniper slowly reached out. “Scout…” He took his hand and held it. “Every member of this team is valuable in some way. You’re the one who gets the intel when we’re the distraction.” Scout’s eyes widen. He clutched his stomach. He began to hyperventilate. “Please calm down. It’s going to be ok.” His shaking finger pointed up. Sniper turned his head to a shadow figure. The same one that Pyro had talked about. He stood. He pulled out a pistol. “Oi! Fuck off!” He fired. The Hat Man disappeared. He looked around. “Where the hell are you?!” It appeared again. He jumped. Startled by its sudden appearance. It threw him against the wall. The gun fell out of his hand. He hit the floor. Some of the equipment had fallen with him.

The Hat Man walked to the wounded Bostonian. Scout got to his knees. He flinched. He pushed himself by his hands and shuffled with his knees. He soon collapsed. Still exhausted from his injuries. “Hey!” The Hat Man turned around. “Get away from him, you red eyed bitch!” Sniper swung. He was surprised to hear an impact against the shadow figure and the pipe he held. The Hat Man let out a frustrated scream. It disappeared. Sniper dropped the weapon. “Scout!” He knelt by his side. He turned him over and lifted him up. Letting his head rest against his arm. “I should have said something. I’m sorry.” ,said Scout. “Don’t be. You couldn’t have known. Spy said you thought it was just a nightmare.”

Scout frowned. “Yeah, I did. Didn’t I?” He closed his eyes. Sniper looked at him. “Is that what we’ve been doing to you? Wearing you down?” He found himself losing consciousness. He decided to close his eyes too. Medic walked in. “Sniper, there’s no-” He was shocked to find Sniper and Scout sleeping together.


	4. Escaping Suffering

“Both men are stable. Scout is still resting from his injuries. Sniper only passed out. He should be fine.” “That’s all I needed to hear.” ,said Spy. He headed to the door. “Where are you going?” “I need to make sure that our base is secured. Stay with Scout. I’m sure everyone else is fine.” He left. Medic looked back at Scout who was laying in bed. He had taken him to his bedroom since there was no need to keep him in the lab. He brought out a chair and sat nearby. “Sleep well. I’m sure we’ll find The Hat Man.”

Sniper gasped awake. He looked around. “Scout?” He ran out of the room. “Scout!” “Easy there buddy.” said Engineer who walked over. “Scout’s doing alright. He’s resting in his own room. You can visit him if you’d like. I think Medic’s there too.” “Thanks.” Sniper ran to Scout’s room. Engineer sighed as he shook his head. “Something tells me he’s more worried than he should be.” Sniper opened the door. Medic turned. “Sniper? You should be resting. Your head was bleeding. I patched it up.” “That doesn’t matter. How is he?” “He’s going to be ok.” Medic stood. He placed his hand over his shoulder. Sniper flinched. Medic noticed. “You should rest. You’re not feeling-”

“I’m fine! I just…” He looked at the sleeping Scout. “I don’t want this to happen again. I want him to be safe.”

“Why are you worried? We only ever almost die.” “I know but this is different. We’re facing something that could make us dead. It might come back. And when it does, I don’t know if we’ll be prepared or not.” Sniper looked at his hands. “I can’t stop thinking about it. That bloody monster. It terrorized Scout. It made him suffer." He clenched his fists. He looked at Medic. "Those are wounds that you can't go back from." He took his glasses off. He dusted them off with the bottom of his buttoned shirt. "Even when he wakes up and it's not there....he was out of his mind. He couldn't think straight. You told me he was talking fast. Mixing his words together." He placed his glasses back on.

Medic nodded. "Yes but we can help him. Once we destroy this Hat Man, we'll request that Scout take a psychological evaluation test." "That's not enough. We need to get him out of here." He adjusted his glasses. "If we do that then we're putting other employees at risk. The Hat Man is targeting him. No one else." "But why? What does he have that this bastard needs?" "I'm not sure. I can run some experiments. I might find the answers." "Experiments?" Medic smiled. "You have nothing to worry about. I'll be careful. He's my friend too, Sniper."

Sniper sat on the chair. "I doubt you ever cared." "That's not true!" "Isn't it? We've always made jokes about him. None of us ever thought to wonder if they were ever funny for him. What if he didn't say anything because he felt he couldn't? That he couldn't stand up for himself?" Medic frowned. "I never intended to...We weren't trying to hurt him." "But we did! We're the reason why he has to laugh through the pain. The reason why he acts like a clown so none of us could ever notice how he really felt." Sniper took his hat off. Placing it on his lap as he held it tight.

"Or maybe he was trying to keep our spirits up." "You say it as if he's dead. He's right here." "A part of him is dead. And that's the Scout who will never come back." He let the hat off of his lap. He covered his face. Tears silently fell from his eyes. Medic walked over. "I understand now." Sniper lifted his head up. "You care about him. Like a man cares about his-" "You don't have to tell me. I already know. But he'll never tell me the same feelings." He held a small smile. "Even though that's true, I don't mind. All I want is for him to be happy."

Scout screamed as he fell through the darkness until he appeared on the ground. Laying there in a field of grass. He looked at the clouds that were in the blue sky. "Hey Scout." Sniper loomed over. He smiled. "Sniper?" Scout stood. "What are you doing here? Am I dreaming?" "I came here to check on you. And yeah, you are." "All I remember was The Hat Man. He attacked us. Or it. I'm not sure. But he almost killed you and I thought..." "No, I scared it off. Everyone's safe for now." "So if I'm dreaming then you're not really Sniper. You're just a part of my dream." "True but I'm also your subconscious. That's why I came here. I want to help you." "Help me with what?"

Sniper placed his hands on his shoulders. "You don't have to fight anymore." "What?" "The constant missions and nearly getting killed? You don't need to do it. It's over. You can rest. Be at peace with yourself." "Why are you telling me this?! Am I dead?" "Would it matter?" Scout frowned. He shrugged. "I don't know. I'm not sure the guys would give a shit." "You were never valued there. Your home didn't show you enough care. All you ever wanted was true love. But you can still get something similar. Peace." He hugged him as a tear fell. "Thank you, Sniper." He felt arms wrap around him. "Maybe you're right. They never needed me. No one ever did. Being here doesn't sound like such a bad idea."

"Then let me show you a nice place. Just close your eyes." He did. He appeared in the sky. Floating there as he balled himself up until he was hugging his knees. He let himself become a part of his own dreams. A part of his imagination.


	5. Getting Inside

Sniper had been staying awake. Continuing to watch over Scout. The others were concerned. They had never seen him go this far for a friend. Demoman was told to check on him. He knocked on the door. A first for himself. "Sniper? You good man?" He opened the door.

The chair had been tipped over. An unconscious Sniper laid near it. "Sniper!" Demoman ran over. He checked his pulse. "Wake up!" He shook him hard but got no response. "Shit!" He called Medic.

Medic placed Sniper and Scout on life support machines in his lab since they wouldn't wake up. "The mission will have to be canceled. We need the Blu Team's assistance with this trouble." "What?! Blu?" ,said Soldier. "But they're our enemies!" ,said Engineer. Medic pinched the brim of his nose. "There's literally no war! We only try to steal each other's suitcases filled with intelligence that the Administrator only knows. And let me add das fact that she works for both teams!" "She's a traitor?!" ,said Soldier. "The intercoms have the exact same voices! Blodmann! We literally fight our clones!"

"Hey!" Demoman smashed his bottle against one of the medical beds. "If those lads are good friends of ours then let's visit!" "We'll need to be careful." ,said Spy who appeared. Everyone screamed. Engineer clutched his chest as he was calming his breathing down. "When did you get here?" "I've been here for thirty minutes." "Oh...I knew that." "Yes. Well, it appears that you four have no idea on how to present yourselves as friendly." "It's not that hard. All we have to do is ask if they like America and if they say no then we kill them!"

Boom!

Medic whipped his head to the direction of the explosion. The others were alert too. "What the hell's going on over there?" ,said Engineer.

Scout pulled his blue shirt over. He smiled at his own reflection. "Look at you buddy!" He winked with finger guns at his reflection. "You're a handsome fella!" A shadow stood behind him. It had the same hat, the same red eyes, the same nonhuman tall height. The body mirror cracked. He screamed.

Demoman ran inside the room with his grenade launcher. He froze at the sight of Scout being stuck to the wall. A large shard of glass had been pierced through his stomach. There were several smaller shards that were embedded within his limbs, chest, and his face. One of his eyes was dangling from its socket. He gasped as he struggled to speak. "I-It's....here...." The Hat Man appeared behind Demoman. As it twitched, Scout's one eye widen. His mouth gaped open. His body was shaking as his blood ran cold. Dripping from his wounds. Staining the glass. Demoman followed his eye. Slowly, he turned around. On instinct, he fired.

The explosion sent him flying into the window. Throwing him out of the base. His back hit the ground. He gasped. He coughed as he got up. Trying to catch his breath. Once he felt calm enough, he ran to the stairs of the front door. "Guys! We have a problem!" He tried to open the door but found it locked. He knocked loudly. "Medic! Sniper! Anyone! Open the door!" Screams could be heard coming from inside the base. He kicked the door down. Soldier, Sniper, Heavy, Pyro, and Spy all ran out of the base. Knocking Demoman off his feet. Some of the mercenaries' feet had stepped on his chest. He heard a sickening crack. He clutched his chest as he stood. He counted all of the men. "Wait a minute! Where's Medic?"

Medic maniacally laughed. He backed up against the wall. The Hat Man merely watched him lose what little bit of sanity he had left. If he had any at all. The lights flickered. A fleshy skull appeared. Covered by what was normally under the skin. It screamed at him. Then it cackled with him. He pulled out a bonesaw. He stabbed himself and brought it down. His organs spilled out. He never stopped laughing. He fell to his knees. His wide eyes and maniac smile remained frozen as he fell over. His glasses fell off. Skidding to a stop. Just a few inches from his hand. A pool of blood spread out from under his body.

The Hat Man stood there for a moment. Curious as to what made the doctor kill himself. It had only stood in front of him. But never did it manipulate him. Perhaps the sight of its form cause him to have hallucinations. It didn't matter to The Hat Man because it wanted them all dead.

"Medic and Demoman! You stay here! Me and Heavy will check out that noise." ,said Engineer. "And I'll be in disguise should they try to kill any one of you." ,said Spy.

They ran out into the open. The Blu Team ran at them. But no want for war was in their eyes. The fear they held had surprised the Red Team. The Blu Team stopped once they reached them. "There's something in there! It killed Scout!" ,said Demoman. "Killed?" ,said Heavy. "So it's escalating." ,said Engineer. "Escalating?" Soldier grabbed him by his shirt. He raised his fist. "You know about this monster?!" Spy appeared. His knife was near his neck. "Let him go. Then we'll have a proper talk."

"Hat Man!" ,shouted Heavy as he pointed. The Blu Team turned. Sniper's eyes widen as the shadow whizzed by him. He never moved. Never blinked. His head slid off. Heavy clutched his stump of an arm. His right hand had fallen off. Some of the mercenaries screamed. Spy shouted, "Move!" They ran inside the Red base. Blu Engineer shut the door and locked it. "We need to board everything up! Now!" ,said Demoman. "Heavy! Escort yourself to Medic. Tell the others to board up the windows upstairs." ,said Spy. Heavy nodded. He ran upstairs with his hand over his stump.

The men on the first floor quickly nailed wooden boards on the windows, the front door, and the backdoor. They made sure the garage door was chained shut with a metal lock. They gathered what guns were there. Placing them upstairs along with themselves. Everyone stayed in front of the lab's doors. Guarding but also keeping each other together so that no one could be separated by The Hat Man.

Medic bandaged Heavy's stump. "I'll give you a new hand once we're safe. For now, you'll have to fight with one." Heavy smiled. "One hand is enough." Once he left the lab, he was given a three barreled bulky handgun. Everyone else was armed. The Hat Man banged against the door. "Let's take this bastard down!" ,said Engineer.


	6. Its Massacre

Medic kept a gun by his side. He stayed near the sleeping Sniper and Scout. He could only hope that they would wake up before things get worse.

Sniper was walking at a straight path His stomach was churning. His head was pounding. He clamped a hand over his mouth. There were bloody skeletons everywhere, near rotting organs, in the blood stained grassland. He dared not utter a single word.

A nuke hit the ground. His eyes widen at the mushroom cloud. He shut his eyes. He was never ready to see his own death. Even after seeing his victims die by his own hands. When he felt nothing, he opened his eyes. He found himself in a glass room under the ocean. He watched a woman cut another woman's throat. He could never forget the blood spilling, the blank expression in the woman's eyes, or the taped chair. He vomited all over the floor. The woman appeared in front of him. She cut his throat. He clutched his neck. Choking on his own blood and vomit. He collapsed.

He would never forget her face. She will always haunt his dreams. Turning them into nightmares. She would terrorize his mind for the rest of his life.

He opened his eyes. He felt his hand was against something squishy. He looked at his hand. It was covered in blood. He gasped. Immediately, he stood. He loomed over the bloody skeletons. He jumped off. Landing on the path that he had been on before. The corpses all moaned and groaned. Some were screaming. He looked around. Wondering if they were zombies or something else.

"WHY?! WHY DID YOU KILL US?!" "YOU DID THIS!" "YOU PULLED THE TRIGGER!" "YOU TOOK OUR LIVES!" "WE'RE STILL DYING!" "PAIN IS NEVERENDING!" "THE SUFFERING!" "WHY?! WHY?!"

All of them were shouting at him for what he had done. He screamed at their cries. He covered his ears as he ran off. Her face popped in front of him again. At the same time, he saw the fleshy skull. Both faces appearing. "STOP!" He clenched his fists. He grit his teeth. "I had a job to do! I needed to support my family! I didn't have a choice! I'm sorry!" He turned around. The corpses were now standing. Looking at him. "I'm sorry." He walked to one of them. "All of you became mercenaries yourselves for the exact same reason that I did. But that doesn't make me or you any better than the next person. What I did was horrible. I never thought about what I was doing."

He hugged the skeleton in front of himself. Tears ran down his cheeks. "So I'm sorry that I took away your lives. Your futures." The skeletons became white butterflies. Flying together to the lively blue sky. Above the fresh green grass. He heard the birds singing. The wind blew past him. He took a deep breath. With a sigh, he smiled. He floated to the sky. He brought Scout into his arms. Scout opened his eyes. "Sniper?" "Let's wake up. Together."

Sniper kissed him.

Both men woke up. "Schließlich! It's messy out there! You two need to help." ,said Medic. He pulled the wires and tubes out of their bodies and off of their skin. He placed some bandages over Sniper's arm. "I changed your bandages while you were sleeping. They should protect you from that Schatten. I implemented pieces of iron embedded within your bandages." "Wait, what? Why?" "Before Sniper fell into a coma, he told me that he was able to strike The Hat Man with a pipe. I dismantled that pipe into pieces and placed them in your bandages."

Sniper grabbed a machine gun. "No rifle?" "It's gotten too close for that." Scout picked up a bat. He swung it in the air. He frowned. "Look Snipe." He nervously scratched the back of his head. "About what happened earlier...I just want to say that I like you. You know? But as a friend. I see you all as one big fucked up family but you're my fucked up family. And besides, me and Pauline are still a thing." Medic awkwardly watched them. Sniper sighed. "I knew that mate. I just wanted to tell you but I thought you wouldn't see me as the same man. And now I've screwed things up."

"What? No! That's not true man! I don't care who you date. You're still-" Engineer screamed. "Save the theater for later! Go!" ,shouted Medic. Scout grabbed a sawed off shotgun. Both men ran out with their weapons ready. Scout fired when The Hat Man appeared. In a split second, he found himself facing Soldier who was clutching his wounded chest.

Before

The Hat Man took the door down. He appeared in front of them. Blu Soldier fired. Everyone else scattered. It picked him up by his head and popped it off. Throwing him aside. Blu Demoman fired some grenades at it. Destroying the walls. It went through him. Pulling out his heart. He collapsed. Engineer stood behind the sentry he had placed in a corner of the base. The sentry automatically fired. The Hat Man crushed the machine into rubble. It went into Engineer's body. Engineer tried to fight back but he ripped his eyes out. The Hat Man left his body. Letting him scream in agony.

Now

Scout dropped the sawed off. Soldier slid down the wall. Sitting there with his bloody hands keeping the wound from bleeding any more. "No No No No No No No!" Scout knelt by his side. "I wasn't trying to do that! Soldier, I'm so sorry!" Soldier coughed up some blood. He smiled. "Th-That's...alright, maggot. You were on your guard." He lifted a shaky thumbs up. "Stay frosty!" His head slumped to one side. No life was left in him. Scout grit his teeth. He clenched his fists. He looked to his right and left. Finding corpses of Blu and Red mercenaries. People that he knew and didn't knew.

His eyes widen. He smiled. A low chuckle escaped his lips. "Scout?" ,said Sniper. Scout let out a maniacal laugh. He threw his bat aside. "Hey Hat Man! You like playing games?!" He ran to The Hat Man. Speeding far faster than a human being. He grabbed its neck and slammed it into the wall. Leaving a large hole. "Here's one for ya!"


	7. Scout's Mayhem

Scout laughed. His hands were twitching. The Hat Man watched him. Seeing his sanity slowly drain by the mere sight of his fallen friends. "So how does it feel to be on the other side of the boot? Huh?" The Hat Man looked into his eyes. He suddenly let him go. His body went limp. He soon got up. Moving his torso up first then standing up. He cracked his own neck.

He turned around to the last survivors. Sniper, Demoman, Blu Engineer, Blu Heavy, and Heavy. He giggled. "Must obey the cults! Must obey the cults! Must obey the cults!" He pulled out a butterfly knife. The survivors raised their guns. "Don't fire unless you have to." ,said Sniper.

"Stop!" Miss Pauling ran in from the front doorway. "Miss?" ,said Blu Engineer. "Scout! It's me! You call me Miss Paulie." Scout held a curious expression when he looked at her. She slowly made her way closer while she continued to speak. "The Hat Man can't control you. It's only making you see your inner hate. The tendencies that normal people keep shut away from their minds. And I know you're not normal. None of you are. But you would never want to kill someone unless it involved getting paid."

"Please Scout." She wrapped her arms around his neck. "Don't do this without a cause." He stabbed her in the back. She gasped. The survivors were shocked to witness the scene. Her form immediately changed to that of Spy. Scout let him fall. Spy looked up at him. Tears fell from Scout. "Spy...?" "I had to make sure. I didn't want you to lose her." Spy passed out. "Where is it? Where's The Hat Man?" ,said Demoman. "And what happened to Pyros?" ,said Blu Heavy. Blu Spy appeared. "I have a hunch."

Blu Pyro and Pyro were upstairs in a bedroom. Playing with their plushies. Blu Spy opened the door. "See? I was right."

Sniper knelt near Spy. "C'mon mate. I know you're playing dead." Spy smirked. "You're the only one who can read me." "Are you going to die yet?" "I cannot feel my legs anymore. You know I am not the type of man to sit idly by. It's far too dangerous. Especially with what secret information I have in my mind." "You want me to put you out of your misery." "On the contrary, I can do that myself with the cyanide in one of my tooth's. I only ask that you never tell Scout who I really am. I wish for him to be safe." "Seriously? Even when you're dead? That's not fair. He deserves to know." "Sniper please. If he finds out then they will surely kill him." Sniper sighed. "Alright. I promise. I'm going to keep him from whatever fucking trail you left behind. But know this. I'm going to make sure that Scout is always fucking happy. That he and Miss Pauling are fucking safe. And that he fucking stays alive."

Spy smirked. "Good luck." With his mouth, he chucked the cyanide in his mouth. The poison immediately took into effect. Sniper watched him die. He wondered if they would all die. Would there be any survivors left? At the very least, he had to keep a promise. And while it wasn't part of it, he was still going to keep Scout alive. Even if it meant sacrificing himself in the process.

"So it is true." ,said Medic. Sniper stood. "You were supposed to wait in the lab until everything was done." "Spy really was-" "Not another word out of you!" Medic glared. "I'm not a damsel in distress!" "Medic, I-" "No! All of you felt bad for making jokes on Scout! But none of you ever notice the things you said to me! I was not valued! I'm the doctor here! I've saved your lives so many times! Do I get a thanks? No! Do I complain? No! ich wunschte ich ware tot!" He headed for the front doorway. "Where are you going?" "I'm leaving this team! I'm getting a new life! A better one!"

"Wait Medic! You're right! This team does need you." He thought for a moment. "Ja well. You're only saying that because you've lost so many." "They were your friends too." "They never acted like it." He left. "Hey...!" ,said the whispering voice in Sniper's head. He looked around. "Huh? Who said that?" "It was never any of their faults but your own. You're the one who made the first joke. You criticized Medic when you met him. All you've been doing is making everyone feel bad. You should kill yourself for it! Pull the trigger!" He threw the gun. He backed away. "No! That's not true! You're lying to me!" He covered his ears. He bumped into a wall. "Don't lie to yourself any longer. Just do it! Shoot yourself in the head. You aren't a real friend." "SHUT UP!"

Scout looked out the window after he heard a commotion. He saw Medic leaving the base. He jumped out of the window. Landing on his feet, he ran to a corner. Watching Medic. "Where is he going? Did Sniper and him have an argument? I did hear some-" A hand covered his mouth. He let out a muffled scream. The hand pulled him away.

"Pyros! Stop messing around and come with us. You're the only ones who know how to kill this thing." ,said Blu Spy. "Dagnabbit! Scout's gone!" ,said Blu Engineer. "Where?" ,said Heavy. Blu Engineer looked out the window. "He's....in the middle? With The Hat Man?!" The others looked too. "We need to get down there!" ,said Demoman. "First, we must listen to the Pyros." ,said Blu Spy. He walked over to them. "Tell us. How do we kill this Hat Man?"

"Scout!" ,shouted Sniper. He ran over to them. The Hat Man raised its hand. Sniper stopped. An unconscious Scout laid by its shadowy feet. Sniper clenched his fists. He grit his teeth. Growling under his breath. "What do you want with him? Why is so important to you?" The Hat Man laughed. A wicked laugh. "What I want? I have no desires. Although I am enjoying killing your friends one by one. Making you fear your inevitable demise." "You bloody wanker!" "In fact, it's Scout who wants something." "And how did you know this? Did he tell you?" "He didn't have to." The Hat Man transformed into a Red Sniper. "You did."


	8. Living On Lies

"C'mon everybody! Let's help them out!" ,said Blu Engineer. The survivors ran downstairs and out into the battlefield. They raised their weapons. "Tell your dogs to stay." Sniper reluctantly turned to them. "Stay out of this!" "What?! That's crazy! We're a team!" ,said Demoman. Pyro spoke. "Spy not here?" ,said Heavy. Blu Heavy looked around. "Fireman is right." "That bleeding traitor!" ,said Demoman.

Heavy screamed in rage. "Enough! I will kill Sniper lookalike!" He dropped his Gatling gun. Not wanting to kill Scout. He ran towards it with fists ready. "No! Stop!" ,shouted Sniper. The Hat Man snapped his fingers. His shadow essence went through him. Heavy froze. In a split second, he exploded into pieces of himself. Blood and guts scattered everyone. Sniper glared. "You fucking psycho!" "Psycho? I'm not even human." Scout opened his eyes. He groaned from the pounding in his head. He lifted his hand up to shield his eyes from the Sun. "What's going on?"

The Hat Man lifted him off the ground by an arm. It squeezed. Putting pressure on his bandaged wounds. He cried out. "Let him go!" "As you wish." It dropped him. Scout curled up on his side as he clutched his arm. His head was spinning. He coughed up a storm. "S-Sniper...." "Oh dear Sniper. It seems that poor Scout doesn't know the truth." "Truth?" Scout blinked himself back to a somewhat stable state of mind. He pushed himself up. He was still on the ground but with his torso lifted. "What is it talking about?" "It's nothing! This bastard's lying to you!" "Sniper, if you know something...." He forced himself to stand. "Then I need to know." The Hat Man smiled. "Yes Sniper. Tell us."

Sniper hesitated. "I-I wanted to...." He looked into his eyes. Trying to get him to read his face. "You don't understand. I had to protect you. Spy told me to promise that I would never tell you. Otherwise, your life won't ever be the same again." The Hat Man rolled its eyes. "We haven't got all day." Its dark essence floated into Scout who cried out. He fell to his knees. He clutched his chest. "Just stop it!" ,shouted Sniper. "Go ahead then. Reveal what has been hidden." He took a moment to think about it. Should he really tell Scout? It would only put him danger. And more pain in his life. The Hat Man snapped his fingers.

Scout screamed again. He fell over as he began to struggle against the terrible pain from the darkness. "SPY IS YOUR FATHER!" The Hat Man made its dark essence leave him. Scout lifted his head up. "What...?" "Spy is your father. That's the truth. That's what I didn't want you to know about because I knew it would hurt you. Now that you know, you're in more danger than before." The Hat Man turned back into its dark form. "Looks like the fun is over. Still, there is one more thing you can do, Scout." "Huh?"

A handgun appeared in his hand. "Sniper has kept this secret from you ever since he met you. Your whole life has been nothing but lies. You thought your father was dead when in reality, your father was fighting by your side the entire time you were working with these other mercenaries. And now he is dead because of your so called friend's selfishness. His desires." "You're a liar! What I feel has nothing to do with what I had to do!" "Can you truly tell me that this was not also influenced by your love for him?" The Hat Man transformed into Spy. Scout stood. "Dad?" "Scout! Don't listen to him! He's not your real father! It's a trick!" Scout glared. "How am I supposed to believe you? How many more secrets have you been keeping from me?"

"It was only ever that one. Please take my word for it." Wet hot angry tears burst from his eyes. He raised his gun. He shook his head. "I don't know who to trust anymore." "You don't have to listen to what anyone says. You can decide for yourself. What do you want to do?" Everyone waited for a response. The Hat Man placed its hands on Scout's shoulders. He looked at it. "My brave son. If you want us to be a family again then you need to kill this selfish liar." Scout's hand was shaking. "I've been pushed around ever since I was a kid. I started learning that no matter what happens, no one has your back. But then when I met you and the others....I thought things would be different. I finally had some real friends. I even got Miss Pauline. Even when she's faraway, I know me and her are both thinking of each other."

He pat his pocket where a photo of her rested there. "And that's what keeps me going. That and my mom. But now, I'm starting to wonder if she kept some secrets from me too. I already know my mom's a liar." He lowered his weapon. He smiled. "But then I realized something. We all have secrets. And hey, that ain't so bad. I've got plenty of my own. Personal crap I don't tell you guys about. So you know what?" He aimed his gun at Sniper. He released the safety off. "My dad can kiss my ass."

He spun around. He fired. The bullet pierced through The Hat Man's head. It let out an ear piercing scream as it turned back into its original form. Everybody covered their ears and cringed. Scout tried to run but fell over from the blood loss on his right arm. The Hat Man intended to take over his body again. "Hey! Vollidiot!" It turned to the voice. Medic stood before all of them with a machine strapped to his back. He held the trigger in one hand and cupped the long handle at the bottom. He grinned. "Time to practice some medicine." The Hat Man raced towards him. He pushed the trigger down. A glowing red stream hit it. The Hat Man shrieked as it was sucked into the machine.

"Nice job!" ,said Blu Heavy who raised a thumbs up. Medic kept a hold of his smile as he did a salute. The machine started to shake. Medic tried to keep it still but a purple stream hit Scout. Knocking him back as it went into him. For a moment, his heart stopped. His pupils dilated. His red clothes changed into a shade of purple. In an instant, he gasped awake as he sat up. He caught his breath. "Scout?" ,said Sniper. "Stop calling me that. I prefer to go by my real name." Scout stood and dusted himself off. "Your real name?" ,said Demoman. "The name's Jeremy."

"Jeremy Fisher."

He snapped his fingers.


End file.
